My Date with Dot: An Introduction to Alexa Commands

Written by Staff Writer • Posted on May 02, 2017

Amazon Echo and Dot are a home assistant that plays music, relays news and weather, and allows you to control your smart home.

Home assistants are hands-free speakers that listen and complete commands for playing music, reading news headlines, checking the weather and many other tasks. The Amazon Echo and Dot are leading the industry in home AI.

Here are some of our favorite commands:

Alarms: You can use the Dot or Echo as your morning alarm by commanding, "Alexa, set an alarm for (6:30 a.m.)" You can also set timers with, "Alexa, set a timer for 15 minutes," then check it with, "Alexa, how much time is left on my timer?"

Date/Time: No need for a wall clock with an Echo or Dot! Simply ask, "Alexa, what's the date?" or "Alexa, what's the time?" Take it one step farther with the command, "Alexa add (event) to my calendar for (day) at (time)." You can then ask, "Alexa, what's on my calendar for tomorrow?"

News & Weather: Get an update on current events by asking, "Alexa, what's in the news?" Heading to work? Ask your Echo or Dot, "Alexa, what's my commute look like?" for a traffic brief. Don't forget to check the weather! Ask, "Alexa, what's the weather like?"

Activities: Start a to-do list by stating, "Alexa, add (task) to my to-do list." If you are looking for something to do, ask "Alexa, what movies are playing?" or "Alexa, find me a nearby Italian restaurant." You can even schedule a taxi with Uber or Lyft by commanding, "Alexa, ask (Uber/Lyft) to request a ride."

Music: Need some ambient music? Queue a specific song or artist: "Alexa, play music by (artist)." When you're done listening, use "Alexa, stop." If you use the online music service Pandora, command your Echo or Dot by saying, "Alexa, play (artist) station on Pandora."

Sports: Get the latest sports news with your Echo or Dot by asking "Alexa, what was the score of the (team) game?" or "Alexa, did the [team] win?"

Shopping: Because the Echo and Dot are an Amazon product, they make for the perfect shopping buddy. Add an item to your Amazon cart by saying, "Alexa, add (a mouse pad) to my cart." Then track your package with, "Alexa, track my order."

Help: Need some help in the kitchen? Ask your Echo or Dot, "Alexa, how many (mL) are in one (cup)?" You can also ask math questions, such as, "Alexa, what's (12 times 46)?" or language quesitons like, "Alexa, how do you spell (word)?"

Get Help for Your Amazon Echo or Dot Now

Our friendly Technology Advisors are available 24/7 to help set up your home assistant, coach you with various commands and sync other accounts to your Amazon Echo or Dot. Call (866) 515-4865 today!